synergies between cross compliance and agriagri ... · conservation agriculture conservation...

SYNERGIES BETWEEN CROSS COMPLIANCE AND SYNERGIES BETWEEN CROSS COMPLIANCE AND SYNERGIES BETWEEN CROSS COMPLIANCE AND SYNERGIES BETWEEN CROSS COMPLIANCE AND AGRIAGRI--ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES FOR SOIL ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES FOR SOIL

PROTECTION IN VENETO RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROTECTION IN VENETO RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PROGRAMME

THE CASE OF SUBTHE CASE OF SUB--MEASURE 214MEASURE 214--I I ““ECOECO--COMPATIBLE COMPATIBLE MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSMANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS””MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSMANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS

Barbara LazzaroBarbara LazzaroBarbara LazzaroBarbara Lazzaro

Direzione AgroambienteDirezione Agroambiente

[email protected]

Direzione AgroambienteDirezione Agroambiente

SoCo: Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation

The European Parliament has requested the European Commission to carry out a study on Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation Two Directorates of the EC are on Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation. Two Directorates of the EC are

involved in this project: DG Agriculture and DG Joint Research Centre.

The JRC participates in the project with two institutes: Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES: Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit and the Rural Water Sustainability (IES: Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit and the Rural, Water and Ecosystem Resources Unit) and Institute for Prospective Technological Studies

(IPTS- Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Economy Unit) in Seville.

The Soil Action of the Land Management and Nat ral Ha ards Unit is in charge to make The Soil Action of the Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit is in charge to make an assessment of the agricultural soil degradation problems and the corresponding soil conservation practices. The assessment on soil degradation will be done according to

the threats identified in the Soil strategy (COM (2006) 231). Several case studies will be set all over Europe with the specific aim of evaluating the cost effectiveness of the set all over Europe with the specific aim of evaluating the cost effectiveness of the

applied agri-environmental measures in relation to soil conservation.

The project has started in 2007 and is finalized in 2009. you may find information about Soco on the Official Web Site: you may find information about Soco on the Official Web Site:

http://soco.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

Soil functionsd•Biomass production

•Source of raw material•Carbon poolN t i t t filt •Nutrient storage, filter,

transformer•Biodiversity pool

Soil degradation processes•Erosion (water, wind and tillage-related)•Organic carbon decline•Compaction•Salinisation and sodification•Contamination•Contamination•Biodiversity in agricultural soils

Figure 3.7 : Transition phases of conservation agriculture adoption

Brussels, 23.7.2009SEC(2009) 1093 final

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENTThe role of European agriculture in climate change mitigation

…Soil management:

– conservation agriculture (reduced or no tillage) which avoids or reduces soil disturbance, while providing significant ienergy savings;

….Regarding cropland management options, cultivation methods such as zero (and reduced) tillage, have the highest

mitigation potential, followed by adding legumes to crop rotations, maintaining the soil with plant cover over the whole year, incorporation of residue in the soil and diversified crop rotations. In general, reduced and no-tillage methods

require substantial changes in practices with an initial cost increaserequire substantial changes in practices with an initial cost increase, but may be cost-saving in the medium term and become self-financing in some areas.

Pag. 41Table 1 − Indicative list of the main rural development measures that can be used to support mitigation in agriculture and rural areas (on theTable 1 − Indicative list of the main rural development measures that can be used to support mitigation in agriculture and rural areas (on the

basis of the rural development regulation as modified by the Health Check)

FINAL REPORT[16 December 2008][16 December 2008]

“REVIEW OF EXISTING INFORMATION ON THE INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN SOIL AND CLIMATE CHANGE”

Contract number 070307/2007/486157/SER/B1DG Environment

Page 59CROPLAND

…A change in management from conventional tillage to no-till practices

sequesters 57±14 g C m-2 yr-1 (mean±95% CI), with the exception of wheat-fallow systems, where no C is sequestered when changing to no-till. Carbonsequestration rates will likely peak after 5-10 years of no-till, and newq y p y ,equilibrium SOC contents will be reached after 15-20 years.

REPORTS OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPSREPORTS OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPSESTABLISHED UNDER THE THEMATIC STRATEGY FOR SOIL PROTECTION

VOLUME - IIIORGANIC MATTEREUR 21319 EN/3-2004

Annex 2 : Policy thematics and policy tools assessmentAnnex 2 : Policy thematics and policy tools assessment…

Agri-environmental support .. shall promote, among other things, ways of usingagricultural land which are compatible with the protection and improvement of the soil, asagricultural land which are compatible with the protection and improvement of the soil, aswell as an environmentally-favourable extensification of farming and management of low-intensity pasture systems. This approach is favourable for soils, but could probably bemore focused on SOM. It should also be recalled that agri-environmental commitmentsh ll i l th th li ti f l “ d f i ti ” It i b i th tshall involve more than the application of usual “good farming practices”. It is obvious that

a coherence necessarily needs to be reached between this concept of “good farmingpractices” and the concept of “good agricultural conditions” under the “mid-term CAPreform”.

Targeting soil qualityTargeting soil quality

Cross compliance

Relevant EU agricultural policy (CAP)

Mandatory:Cross compliance (Regulation (EC) 73/2009)*

g p y ( )

Cross compliance (Regulation (EC) 73/2009)– Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs)– Requirement to keep land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) targeting:(GAEC), targeting:• Soil erosion• Soil organic matter decline• Soil structure damage Soil structure damage• Deterioration of habitats• Water managementVoluntary incentive-based:yRural Development Regulation (EC) 1698/2005

* Replacing Regulation (EC) 1782/2003 during the Health Check of the CAP

Effect of soil-friendly practices/1

by S.H. Gay and G. LouwagieEuropean Commission, JRC-IPTS

Effect of soil-friendly practices/2

by S.H. Gay and G. LouwagieEuropean Commission, JRC-IPTS

• Existing suite of policy measures including mechanisms for • Existing suite of policy measures, including mechanisms for advice and support, generally adequate• Effectiveness of implementation and relative weight given to different types of instrumentsdifferent types of instruments• Cross compliance clearly contributed to establishing a common reference level for sustainable soil management across th EUthe EU• Rural development measures: an important instrument for assisting farmers’ transition to higher levels of soil quality• Information and advice are essential to support any changes in farming practices

INTRODUCTIONPlow-based soil cultivation has become reallycommon in mainstream modern agriculture.gContinuous soil disturbance through cultivationand particularly through soil inversion has lead to:and particularly through soil inversion has lead to:

– degradation of soil structure– soil compactionsoil compaction– decreased levels of organic matter in soil

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE

Conservation Agriculture is based on enhancing natural,and biological processes above and below the soil surface.It aims to conserve improve and make more efficient useIt aims to conserve, improve and make more efficient useof natural resources through integrated management ofavailable soil, water and biological resources combined, gwith external inputs. It contributes to environmentalconservation as well as to enhanced and sustainedagricultural production It can also be referred to asagricultural production. It can also be referred to asresource-efficient/resource effective agriculture.

Conservation tillage, ideally no-tillage (or ‘no-till’where the soil is not disturbed other than to plant

MINIMUM MECHANICAL SOIL where the soil is not disturbed other than to plant

the seed), is preferred to conventionalmouldboard ploughing (where the soil is inverted).

MECHANICAL SOIL DISTURBANCE

PERMANENT SOIL CO

Keeping a vegetative cover over the soil in theabsence of a crop has an important role inprotecting the soil and enhancing its propertiesCOVER protecting the soil and enhancing its properties.These covers protect soil from the impact ofraindrops and wind which lead to erosion, addingorganic matter to improve its structure and fertilityorganic matter to improve its structure and fertility.

DIVERSIFIED CROPAppropriate sequences of crops will reduce theimpact of weeds pests and diseases on a singleDIVERSIFIED CROP

ROTATIONSimpact of weeds, pests and diseases on a singlecrop type and give opportunities for alternativemethods of control or reduce the need for externalinputsinputs.

DIRECT-SEEDING TECHNIQUEDirect seeding place seeds in condition to sproutdirectly in untilled soil on plant cover soilsdirectly in untilled soil on plant cover soils.Direct seeders must have the capacity to penetratethe soil to correctly place seeds and must be able tooperate on dense plant cover or crop residue.operate on dense plant cover or crop residue.Only narrow strips of soil are disturbed by theequipment openers used to place fertilizer and seedin the soil without full width tillage. Much of thegresidue from the previous crop is retained on the soilsurface.

SOIL QUALITYOver time, a soil that is not disturbed by tillage

d hi h id h b i lland to which crop residues have been continuallyadded, develops an extensively diversified biota;i.e., bacteria, fungi, micro & macro fauna ANDEARTHWORMS The maze of tunnels old rootEARTHWORMS. The maze of tunnels, old rootchannels and pathways greatly increase the soil'swater holding capacity. The secretions of thesebiota tend to aggregate the soil and give it a

t bl t t i i it "tilth"very stable structure, increasing its "tilth".The waste products of these biota placenutrients in a form very accessible to plants.

TECHNIQUESTECHNIQUESTECHNIQUES TECHNIQUES OF SOD OF SOD

SEEDINGSEEDING

HEALTH CHECKNATIONAL STRATEGY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

UPDATING

In accordance with NSP (National Strategic Programme) update andRDP (Rural Development Programmes) reprogramming and followingCAP and Recovery Plan Health Check Regions and AutonomousCAP and Recovery Plan Health Check, Regions and AutonomousProvinces have been called to specifically update their RDPdevelopment strategies by integrating or strengthening the related

f h ll d b db d i f t tpurposes as for new challenges and broadband infrastructure.

THE NEW CHALLENGES: CLIMATE CHANGE, BIOENERGY, WATER MANAGEMENT BIODIVERSITYWATER MANAGEMENT, BIODIVERSITY

The agricultural sector faces now challenges that wereg gnot as pronounced in 2003:

Fighting climate change– Fighting climate change–Making the most of the opportunities offered bybioenergygy– More efficient management of water– Preservation of biodiversity

Purpose of the proposal is to strengthen capacity toimprove the response to the above mentioned newp pchallenges using the existing RD measures

ECO-COMPATIBLE MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSSUB-MEASURE CODE : 214/I

ACTION 1 IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATIVE

MOTIVATIONS AND PURPOSES

ACTION 1 – IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATIVE TECHNIQUES

The first action of the sub-measure 214-I(Rural Development Program of Veneto Region) is set todevelop the role of soil tillage, as a toolcertainly suitable to affect the tenability ofcertainly suitable to affect the tenability ofagricultural systems, allowing for theirconsiderable influence over the soilagronomic fertility and over theg ycultivations’ yield.Remarkably, sod seeding is distinguishedby a lowest energy requirement and, if

ll ff t d b th b t ti l bwell effected, by the substantial absenceof compaction, with the consequentialpossibility to control soil erosion, toincrease organic matter and to reduceincrease organic matter and to reducecarbon dioxide and greenhouse gasemissions. P�� L�� D� S��

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Statutory management Statutory management requirement requirement –– A3A3

Di 86/278/EEC t ti f th Di 86/278/EEC t ti f th Authorization requests toDir. 86/278/EEC protection of the Dir. 86/278/EEC protection of the environment (soil) when sewage environment (soil) when sewage

sludge is used in agriculturesludge is used in agriculture

Authorization requests toProvinces

M 214i M 214i C ti A i ltC ti A i ltMeasure 214i Measure 214i –– Conservative AgricultureConservative Agriculture

It is prohibited to use any kind of sludge such as purification mud and other mud, toxic and nonIt is prohibited to use any kind of sludge such as purification mud and other mud, toxic and non toxic residues

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Statutory management requirement A4Statutory management requirement A4Dir.91/676/EEC concerning the Dir.91/676/EEC concerning the

Respect of the maximum amounts ofnitrogen fertilizer use and prohibition of

f th t i t i d (fprotection of waters against pollution protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural caused by nitrates from agricultural

sourcessources

use for the autumn-winter period (from90 to shoveled manure for 120 days fornon-shoveled manure)

AgriAgri--environment minimum requirements environment minimum requirements about fertilizersabout fertilizers

Respect of Code of Good AgriculturalPractice, DM 7/04/2006 and regionalAction Programme

M 214i M 214i C ti A i ltC ti A i lt

Must apply nitrogen and phosphorus at different times, close to the seed and ready to be used by

Measure 214i Measure 214i –– Conservative AgricultureConservative Agriculture

the plant.

Record in a “Farm register” each single agricultural practice executed

Sowing a winter cover crop during fall. Winter cover crop cannot be fertilized.

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Statutory management Statutory management requirement requirement -- B9B9qqDir. 91/414/EEC Placing of plant Dir. 91/414/EEC Placing of plant protection products on the marketprotection products on the market

Correct holding of treatment registry ; §Correct holding of treatment registry ; §compliance with the requirementsprovided for use in label ; § use ofpersonal protective equipment;§ authorisation (license) to the use of very§ authorisation (license) to the use of verytoxic/toxic/harmful plant protectionproducts

Measure 214i Measure 214i

Splitting of weed control measures

Measure 214i Measure 214i Conservative AgricultureConservative Agriculture

Splitting of weed control measures

Drafting of cultural practices registryP�� L�� D� S��

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Standard 1.1 Standard 1.1 -- Minimum soil coverMinimum soil cover

Point b: in presence of evident erosion, soil must be covered for 90 days from September 15th to May15th

Measure 214i Measure 214i Conservative AgricultureConservative Agriculture

Soil must be covered all year round. This can be achieved by sowing a second crop or cover crop during summer and winter cover crop during fall

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winter cover crop during fall.

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Standard 2.1 Standard 2.1 -- Arable stubble managementArable stubble managementgg

Ban on burning of straw stubble and crop residues left in field after harvest


Must leave any crop residues on the ground (mulching)Chop corn crop residues, if corn is the main cropChop corn crop residues, if corn is the main crop

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Standard 2.2: Standard 2.2: Standards for crop Standards for crop

Ban of cereal monoculture for a durationexceeding 5 years

Standards for crop Standards for crop rotationsrotations Soil analysis, only for corn monoculture

from the 5th to 7th year

Soil must be covered all year round.This can be achieved by sowing a secondcrop or cover crop during summer and a

Measure 214i Measure 214i Conservative Conservative

winter cover crop during fall. Before springsowing cover crops will be killed withdevitalizing herbicides (only in the earlyyears of commitment)

Conservative Conservative AgricultureAgriculture

Apply diversified crop rotations and cropcombinations suitable for the CA system,such as a combination of winter cereals orcanola with corn and soybean

Perform chemical and physical analysis ofthe soil. Results must be registered

canola with corn and soybean

Corn as main crop cannot be planted for

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two years in a row on the same plot

Standard 3.1: Standard 3.1: A i t hi A i t hi

Performing tillage with appropriatemoist conditions (…) and with and f h hAppropriate machinery Appropriate machinery

useuseadequate use of the machines toavoid the deterioration of soilstructure

Measure 214i Measure 214i –– Conservative AgricultureConservative AgricultureMeasure 214i Measure 214i Conservative AgricultureConservative AgricultureUse Conservation Agriculture techniques on at least 25% of the farm cultivable land.Not invert soil layersAdopt the sod-seeding system that is the mere deposition of the seed into the ground withoutAdopt the sod seeding system that is the mere deposition of the seed into the ground, withoutaltering the pre-existing structure. This operation involves a portion on the ground 8-10 cmwide and 6-8 cm deep.Is prohibited to plough and to perform any kind of mechanical labour before and after seeding

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Standard 4.1Standard 4.1 -- Protection of permanent pastureProtection of permanent pasture

- Ban of meadows area reduction, of soil tillage (except forturf renewal / thickening and management of water surfacedrainage)

Obli i f l i i h- Obligation to perform at least one mowing per year in theabsence of grazing.

Measure 214i Measure 214i ––Conservative AgricultureConservative Agriculture

Cannot adhere perennial grass, pasture land (and alfalfa)

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Obligation of a mowing or choppingat least once a year no later than

Standard 4.2. Standard 4.2. A idi th h t f A idi th h t f at least once a year no later than

October 10 with no rupture of turfgrass.

Avoiding the encroachment of Avoiding the encroachment of unwanted vegetation on unwanted vegetation on

agricultural landagricultural land


Cannot adhere deactivated land and non cultivable land

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Restrictions, checks and entrance conditions/1Restrictions, checks and entrance conditions/1

Ø Conservation Agriculture techniques on at least 25% of the farmØ Conservation Agriculture techniques on at least 25% of the farmcultivable land. Minimum surface is 1 Ha.

Ø It i hibit d t ki d f l d h ifi ti d dØ It is prohibited to use any kind of sludge such as purification mud andother mud, toxic and non toxic residues.

Ø Is prohibited to plough and to perform any kind of mechanical labourbefore and after seeding.

Ø Fertilizing and weed controlling on cover crops is forbidden. Covercrops cannot be harvested and used but have to stay on the ground.

Restrictions, checks and entrance conditions/2 Restrictions, checks and entrance conditions/2

Ø Corn as main crop cannot be planted for two years in a row on thesame plot.

Ø Still hold the Rules on Cross-compliance as a baseline for ACTION 1, aswell as for other Agro-environmental measures, with main reference tog ,the Statutory management requirements referred to Council Directive91/676/EEC and Good agricultural and environmental conditionreferred to the issues Soil erosion, Soil organic matter and Soilstructure.

Ø Cover crops can be dried up with herbicides such as Gliphosate andØ Cover crops can be dried up with herbicides such as Gliphosate andAmmonium Gluphosinate that link to soil colloids soon after theirapplication and are degraded through microbes and aerobic pathwayswith the production of water, nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon dioxide.with the production of water, nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon dioxide.

Payment:400 €/ha per year, for a period of five years.

Budget of the sub-measure 214/i:10.000.000 €, for a period of five years.

Target group:

Farmers, as defined by the Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, Article 2.

Areas eligible for payment :

Agricultural utilized area of Plain and Hill in Veneto Region.Agricultural utilized area of Plain and Hill in Veneto Region.

synergies between cross compliance and agriagri ... · conservation agriculture conservation...

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